I purchased a bag of four tri-tips (roasts) at the restaurant supply house. I placed a rub on them (Santa Maria style rub) and smoked them with alder and mesquite.

I smoked them on my Brinkmann electric, that usually maintains a temperature of 275.

My issues:

1. After four hours, it had no smoke ring.

2. After four hours, the highest temp in the roasts was 140 degrees, I pulled two roasts off at that point, and foiled them, and gave them to friends. I did cut off 2 inches from the end of one roast, and it was well done and dry.

3. The third roast stayed on for a total of 5 1/4 hours. The instant read thermometer read 144 degrees.

I did not calibrate the thermometer, but I had one digital and one dial instant read, and both recorded the exact same temps.

Any ideas what I did wrong? Should I have marinated the tri-tip? Should I have basted it during cooking? Should I have started with better quality tri-tip?

Well, I'm still learning myself, but one of the best bits of wisdom I have picked up around here is "Cook to temp, not to time." I would get a digital probe thermometer and keep it in the roasts for the cook. Like a lot of people, I actually use two, one for the meat and one for the grate, so I know exactly what the temperature is around the meat.

A few questions:
- How big were the tri-tips?
- Did you put them on cold or at room temp?
- What grade of meat were the tri-tips -- select or choice? If they were select, they may not have been well marbled or have decent fat content.
- Does the Brinkmann have a built-in thermometer, and if so, have you checked it/calibrated it? I thought Brinkmanns didn't have built in therms, but I don't remember. Perhaps the unit itself is not getting to the right temp?

I would perhaps do a "dry run" of the smoker and throw an oven thermometer inside it, then check it at a few intervals (say, every 30 mins). Make sure it's getting to the 275 you say it should be maintaining.

I don't think marinating or basting would have much to do with the internal temp. Is there any sort of water pan you can use to raise the moisture? Were the fat caps on the tri tips?

Of course, in the end, this could end up being one of those Unsolved (Barbecue) Mysteries. (What a great show that would be...)

Sorry to hear about your problems. But as many people on here have reassured me, everyone has their failures when it comes to this stuff, and they only make us better at it in the long run.

Tri tip is much different than say brisket. A lot of people are confused on what the right cooking time and technique is for a tri tip. This cut has not been used for very long and it is rarely used outside of the western US until recently. Tri tip is extremely popular in California and for most of the year, you will find every grocery store in town cooking tri tip in front of the store.

Tri tip, just like a ribeye or any other kind of steak will dry out and get very tough when over cooked. I cooked one last weekend for 40 minutes to mediaum rare. They are obviuosly thicker than a regular steak, but the same cooking methods apply. There is marbleing through the meat, but nothing tough enough that it needs to be broken down to tenderize the meat.

Tri tip is very flavorful and marinading only enhances the flavor, but doesn't really have an effect on how juicy the meat is. I seared it on both sides, 5 minutes a side, than moved it over to the cool side for 20 minutes, than finished it up back over the direct heat. Just like anything else, the meat has to rest before cutting.

I have tried cooking tri tip low and slow and it has never really turned out good. The flavor was there, but they dry out. Sear it and cook it to medium rare (or whatever done-ness you prefer) and they are hard to beat.

I never tried smoking a tri-tip, I did mine indirect keeping my cooking temp at around 280-300 deg. Cosidering the family doesn't like seeing any shade of red but light pink,I tried to get it up to about 170 internal, that never happened,I ended up pulling it when the internal temp hit about 157( I really don't think it would have gone much higher unless I torched it) and had to slice into it to peek, so I'm somewhat under the impression that you shouldn't smoke a tri-tip. Probably the reason mine didn't dry out is because I get really lucky sometimes when I grill. I used RO charcoal and a couple of small pcs. of hickory,put the fire in the main chamber by the vent and the roast on the left of a drip pan,spritzed it a few times during the cook, it was on for maybe 2.5 hrs. If I understand correctly,tri-tip is like a thick steak from the botton tip of the sirloin primal. I would try it again because once you hit it right,they're really good only next time try indirect grilling.

i usually cover mine in mustard salt and pepper. let it sit covered overnight or at least several hours. then i indirect cook until a int temp of 130 then direct grill on each side for no more than five minutes. tri tip does have a grain so make sure you cut it across the grain.

Tri tip should be cooked like a roast. Cook with indirect heat, 300-350 degrees. You can sear either at the beginning or the end (reverse sear) over direct heat. It should be cooked to medium rare to medium. If you overcook it, it will be tough. It is not a cut of meat that you cook to the point of "pulling". Tri tips are a great cut of meat if you can find it. Takes marinade very well. A lot of times, you find them pre-marinaded in the stores.

The two I did where the packaged in marinade kind, I didn't rinse them very well and thought they were a tad salty tasting. Today I looked at some in Costco, they were a lot bigger than the ones at the local grocery, but I picked up some strips instead, now I'm having buyers remorse ..

A few questions:- How big were the tri-tips?- Did you put them on cold or at room temp?- What grade of meat were the tri-tips -- select or choice? If they were select, they may not have been well marbled or have decent fat content.- Does the Brinkmann have a built-in thermometer, and if so, have you checked it/calibrated it? I thought Brinkmanns didn't have built in therms, but I don't remember. Perhaps the unit itself is not getting to the right temp?

I would perhaps do a "dry run" of the smoker and throw an oven thermometer inside it, then check it at a few intervals (say, every 30 mins). Make sure it's getting to the 275 you say it should be maintaining.

I don't think marinating or basting would have much to do with the internal temp. Is there any sort of water pan you can use to raise the moisture? Were the fat caps on the tri tips?

Of course, in the end, this could end up being one of those Unsolved (Barbecue) Mysteries. (What a great show that would be...)

Sorry to hear about your problems. But as many people on here have reassured me, everyone has their failures when it comes to this stuff, and they only make us better at it in the long run.

Folks, thanks for all the advice so far. I will try and respond where questions were asked of me.

-These were large roasts, averaging four pounds each.

-I probably had the roasts out of the fridge for one hour before cooking.

-I don't know the grading. I will check the next time I go to the restaurant supply house (Smart and Final).

-No built in thermometer on the Brinkmann. I have used a grate thermometer in the past to determine the smoker temperature. Yesterday I used a Weber wireless in one roast the entire time, and double checked with a dial thermometer. Both registered the same temps.